This writ petition has been filed by the District forest Officer, Attur, Salem District and the Forest Range Officer, Vazhappadi Range, Attur Division, to quash the order in Criminal Appeal No. 39 of 1995, dated 4-12-1995 on the file of the Principal Sessions Judge, Salem.

2. According to the petitioners, the vehicle matador tempo van bearing registration No. TN-27-1837 was found illegally transporting sandalwood. The vehicle, along with the sandalwood, was seized on 8-12-1993 by the second-petitioner herein. Twenty-three persons were arrested in this connection. The second-petitioner, who seized the vehicle, registered a case in S. T.O.R. No. 101 of 1993 dated 8-12-1993 and produced the vehicle, along with the sandalwood, before the then authorised officer and Deputy Conservator of Forests (District Forest Officer), Attur Division, as per S. 49-A of the Tamil Nadu Forest (Amendment) Act, 44 of 1992. The Forest Officer has returned the vehicle and sandalwood to the second-petitioner for safe custody and the 23 accused persons were produced before the Judicial Magistrate No. III, Salem by the second-petitioner and they were remanded to judicial custody. The Regional Trans